Swimmer&#39;s towing device



Dec. 19, 1967 c. E.M REE SWIMMERS TOWING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1966 FIG .6.

Clarence E. McRee INVENTOR FIGS.

WWE

ATTORNEYS SWIMMERS TOWING DEVICE Clarence E. McRee, P.0. Box 1466, Columbus, Ga. 31902 l d May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,

" IClaim. (Cl. 115--6.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thepresentjinvent ion is directed to swimmers towing 'device and more particularly to the type having a buoyant body adapted to be propelled over the surface of a plane is pivotally secured to the rear of the cylindrical cage and'the propulsive fluid stream of the propeller so that the buoyant body' may be trimmed dependent upon the weight of the swimmer being towed and also in accordance with variations in speed of the craft.

The present invention relates to Swimmers towing device and has for an object to provide a buoyant struc ture movable through the water by a motor-enclosed within the buoyant structure for towing a swimmer under motive power at a speed in excess of that attainable by an ordinary swimmer.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which may be used as a life-saving device to immediately advance a life guard to a troubled area for rendering assistance to a swimmer in trouble.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of the character described having a throttle control accessible at the swimmers grasping point at the stern of the vehicle at which point the swimmer lets go of the throttle letting the engine stop and rendering the vehicle powerless so that it will not run away from the swimmer, for example, when a life guard reaches the area of the swimmer in trouble, the device may be stopped until he takes the troubled swimmer in tow and thereafter the device may be used to tow the life guard and the swimmer to safety.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a weight compensating plane on a swimmers towing device which will compensate for the different weights of swimmers using the vehicle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the in vention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a swirnmers towing vehicle constructed in accordance with the present invention and having the motion access hatch removed.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top perspective view of the device of FIGURES l and 2 with the engine access hatch removed.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 taken on a magnified scale.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section through the motor propulsion column showing the protective cage and weight compensating plane.

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of FIGURE 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the moment to FIGURES 1 and 2, 10 designates a buoy- 3,358,635 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 ant body of suflicient buoyancy to support an out-board motor and being hydrodynamically faired for motion through the water. The buoyant body 10 has a closed in top bow portion 11, a closed stern portion 12 and a motor access hatch 31. At the stern 12 are provided two swimmers grasping handles 14 and 15. Mounted in the buoyant body 10 beneath the access hatch 13 is a motor 16 of the air-cooled type having a power column 17 projecting through thte bottom of the buoyant body 10 in water-tight relation therewith.

The power column 17 at its base has a housing 17a for making a right angle drive connection to a propeller 1S. Arranged about the housing 17 and propeller 18 is a foraminous protecting cage 19 provided with a securing collar 20 for securing the cage 19 to the power column 17 and a support bracket 21 for securing the bottom of the housing 17 to the bottom of the cylindrical cage 19. The intake and discharge of the cage 19 .is provided with protective screens 22, 23 to protect the 20' swimmer from having any part of his body coming into contact with the high-speed propeller 18 during any time of the use of the device.

At the rear of the cage 19 are lugs 24 and 25 which carry a weight compensating plane 26 by pivots 27. The weight compensating plane 26 is provided with a relatively large surface area and has secured at its rear portion a weight compensating controlling rod 28 for changing the plane attitude of the plane 26. At the stem 12 of the buoyant body 10 is provided at rod limit stop 29 in the form of a notched bracket to permit the swimmer to set the attitude of the weight compensating plane 26 at any desired po'mt dependent upon vehicle speed of the buoyant body 10 through the water.

Pivotally secured to the swimmers handle 14 is a throttle trigger 30 connected to actuate a throttle wire 31 connected to the carburetor of the motor to thereby control its speed.

A dead mans clutch 32 is connected between the throttle wire 31 and the carburetor of the engine so that upon the swimmer releasing the throttle tn'gger 30 the engine will cut out and stop and the vehicle will not run away from the swimmer.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, when the craft of the present invention is operated with the access hatch 13 closed or in place, air will be supplied to the motor 16 through air intake ports 33 and as shown best in FIG- URE 4 a flexible tube 34 is connected to the out-board motor exhaust line which passes through the closed-in bow 11 at an exhaust discharge tube 35. The exhaust discharge tube 35 may be provided with a body protective heat deflecting shield 36 to protect the hot exhaust pipe from contact with the body of the swimmer to eliminate any possibility of burns.

Secured to the closed-in top bow portion 11 is a line davit 37 for tethering the vehicle at a dock by means of a line when the vehicle is not in use.

IN OPERATION When it is desired to employ the vehicle of the present invention, the line is removed from the bow davit 37 and the spring wound or other starter is cranked up in a conventional manner. The swimmer then directs the vehicle in the direction in which the swimmer wishes to proceed, grasping the swimmers handles 14 and 15. When the throttle trigger 30 is grasped by the fingers of the swimmer, the motor is started which causes the propeller 18 to rotate and advance through the water. The intake air for the motor is drawn in through the engine by intake ports 33 and exhausted through the exhaust discharge tube 35. The device is now pulling the swimmer through the water and dependent upon the weight of the swimmer, the craft will either be heavy or light at the stern.

In order to compensate for the heavy weight, the swimmer with the hand controlling the'throttletrigger 30 will grasp the weight compensating control rod 28 and adjust it to control the plane attitude of the weight compen- 1 sating plane 26 by engaging the weight compensating rod at the appropriate adjustment relative to the rod limit stop 29 carried by the'stern 12 of the craft.

Should the swimmer for any reason by encountering mer at which time the swimmer will remove the access hatch 13, crank the spring wound starter, replace the hatch 13 and approach the stern of the craft and grasp it by the handles 14 and 15, thereafter engaging the throttle trigger 30to start the device and continue on his way.

Of particular importance in the present invention is the provision 'of the weight compensating plane carried in the rear of the cylindrical cage 19 about the propeller 18 to make proper adjustments to control the attitude of the craft when moving through the water and carrying varying loads.

an object in the water or performing lite-saving functions, -'become separated from the craft, upon his finger releasing the throttle 30 the dead mans clutch 32 will cause the motor to stop and the vehicle will then be in a buoy- -ant hydrostatic attitude until re-approached by the swim- (b) a motor carried within said buoyant body having a propulsion shaft and propeller extending'through and beneath the body,;

(c) swimmers grasp handles at the stern of the buoyant body and a pivoted trigger on said handles connected to the motor speed control to regulate the speed of advance of the buoyant body through the Water,

(d) a foraminous cylindrical cage about the propeller, said cage being screened at its intake and discharge,

(e) a weight compensating plane pivotaHy carried by said cylindrical cage at its rear and in the propulsive fluid stream from said propeller so that the buoyant body may be trimmed dependent upon the weight of the swimmer being tow'edpand the speed offthec'ratt through the water, and v r (f) weight compensating plane regulating means, one end of which is accessible to the swimmer in the area of the grasp handles at the stern of the buoyant body. 7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Steele 115-70 MILTON BUCHLER, Primal Examiner.

T. M. BLlX, Assistant Examiner. 

